Jeremy R. Geerdeshttps://jgeerdes.wordpress.com
Thoughts, comments, and random oddities from me for my friends, members of my church family, and anyone else who happens by.Thu, 22 Feb 2018 00:30:58 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngJeremy R. Geerdeshttps://jgeerdes.wordpress.com
Winter 2017 seminary updatehttps://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/12/29/winter-2017-seminary-update/
https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/12/29/winter-2017-seminary-update/#commentsFri, 29 Dec 2017 19:03:08 +0000http://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/?p=2687As my friends and family well know, I have been pursuing a Master of Divinity degree through Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. Early this morning, I received the final grades for Fall 2017, and I am pleased to report that I have passed both Christian Worship and Goal Setting & Accountability.

In fact, I passed both of these courses with strong A’s, which pleases me greatly. Truth be told, I have always regretted that I missed graduating from undergraduate as cum laude by only a couple hundredths of a point, and the difference was one particular class in which I did not show up (mentally, anyway) for the first half of the semester. In fact, it was only by the grace of God and the professor that I managed to eek out a C in the course. Further, I know for a fact that there were other classes in which I failed to fully apply myself and so finished with a grade that was somewhat lower than what could have been. To receive A’s in graduate school, then, is particularly gratifying.

As you may know, this semester, I also engaged in an independent study in which I observed a consultation with a church seeking revitalization. For this course, I was asked to read a bunch, examine case studies from two other churches, and provide an analysis of the subject church. Earlier this week, I received a score on the final paper for this, but I have not received the full scores for the rest of the course. If the final paper is any indication, though, I expect I will be fine.

The completion of this third semester is something of a significant milestone. I have now completed half of the core classes required for my program. I also took some time to examine the course catalog and start noodling out the rest of my schedule. In addition to the core classes, I am required to take four classes for my Church Health and Revitalization specialization. The independent study I just concluded counts as one of these, but I am uncertain whether it is wise to complete the others concurrently with the larger core courses: the electives are half as many credits as the core courses, but they are condensed into half as much time. Thus, for the half of the semester that they are running, it is like taking two larger courses simultaneously.

In addition, I must complete a fifth elective. At this time, I am seriously considering Hebrew for Ministry. This is significant because it is only offered March through May in even-numbered years. Thus, if I do not take it this spring, I will have to wait to take it in 2020.

When I started this M.Div program in August 2016, I initially thought I would be finished in 3 1/2 years (i.e., graduate in December 2019). As things sit right now, this is still possible, but it would be challenging. On the other hand, I could extend the process to May 2020 with a lot less stress. I would appreciate prayers for clarity because if I am going to shoot for the more aggressive strategy, I need to make that decision very soon.

]]>https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/12/29/winter-2017-seminary-update/feed/1jgeerdesA day in the lifehttps://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/a-day-in-the-life/
https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/a-day-in-the-life/#respondWed, 25 Oct 2017 07:43:45 +0000http://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/?p=2623I’m waiting for a video to upload, so I thought I would take a few minutes to jot some stuff down. A couple of pastor friends have shared a meme asking people to share in gif images what they think a pastor’s week looks like. Well, I have been trained for many years of web development to disdain gifs, and I am a pastor. So I thought I would write about what a typical week in my life looks like.

Of course, writing that sentence, in and of itself, is rather amusing. I was called to vocational ministry (i.e., Christian ministry as my livelihood) when I was a freshman in high school. A couple years later, as I was preparing to go to college, my whole class took one of those career aptitude tests. Mine told me I should do several things, but clergy was not one of them. So I dug into the test to figure out why it said I should not be a pastor. I discovered that clergy was rejected as a possible career for me because of my answer to one question: Do you want to do the same things every week? I answered no.

Well, I changed my answer to the question, and clergy promptly shot to the top of the list of things I should do. But here’s the thing: in 15 years of vocational ministry, I’ve never had two weeks come out exactly the same. Sure, there are some rhythms: we’ll have church at set times every week. But no two weeks have ever been the same.

Today is Tuesday. (Well, technically, it’s Wednesday now.) So I’m starting the week a little late, but this is what today looked like:

This schedule does not include the numerous phone calls I made, text messages I received, or emails I exchanged. I called people while driving to and from places, and I did the rest in the few minutes between things. (Email all happened about 5:30 pm.) The good news today was that I did get to the office! The bad news is that I spent less than 5 minutes there while printing.

If there is a lesson to be taken from today, it’s that not all “pastoral” work is glorious. Often, the things that should be simple end up being ridiculously hard.

Also, if you find a stray orange traffic cone in the neighborhood, it probably belongs to Samuelson Elementary.

]]>https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/a-day-in-the-life/feed/0jgeerdesHere we go againhttps://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/here-we-go-again/
https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/here-we-go-again/#respondTue, 15 Aug 2017 12:29:13 +0000http://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/?p=2599It doesn’t seem possible, but it’s true: on Friday, seminary classes resume. This fall, I am enrolled in three classes: Christian Worship, Goal Setting and Accountability, and an independent study course entitled Church Revitalization Field Study. I have not had much time to examine the syllabi for any of these classes (other than to order books), but Christian Worship is set to cover a wide array of subjects relating to our worship of God. This is not to be confused with music; although music is a substantial component of worship, it is not synonymous with it. To equate music with worship would be to equate a tire with your car. Goal Setting and Accountability is a relatively self-explanatory title, and the Church Revitalization Field Study will involve me observing a professional church consultant assessing a church and drafting a strategy for its revitalization.

In addition to these three courses, I must complete an essay in order to receive advanced standing credit for Introduction to Theology. By completing this essay by September 1, I will receive credit for the course without actually having to take it next summer. The fact that I must complete this essay by September 1 is mildly frustrating. I had planned to spread it out over this semester and complete it by the time classes resumed in the spring, but a policy change at the seminary has accelerated this timeframe dramatically.

All of this said, I earnestly covet prayer this week. To be perfectly honest, as I write this, I am not in the proper mindset to return to class. Although my family has had some wonderful rest this summer, the last few weeks have been a blur of activity. The last two weeks have been particularly draining due to some unplanned travel and the passing of my grandmother. I am physically and emotionally exhausted. Fortunately, I serve a great God, and with your help, I am claiming today the promise of Isaiah 40:28-31:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.

]]>https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/here-we-go-again/feed/0jgeerdesSemester 2 is officially officialhttps://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/06/14/semester-2-is-officially-official/
https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/06/14/semester-2-is-officially-official/#respondWed, 14 Jun 2017 19:37:11 +0000http://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/?p=2574Well, it’s official. I passed my second semester of classes at Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. I was even pleased with my grades, and that was no small feat!

I finished the semester with a strong A in Self Assessment & Appraisal, and an A- in Congregational Leadership. It is tempting to be disappointed with that latter grade, but as I reflect upon the semester, and particularly the second half of it, I am reminded of how much stuff was simultaneously happening in our family and church, as well as how much work was required to achieve this grade. Simply put, it was nearly overwhelming. My wife will attest to numerous very late nights over the last few weeks of the semester.

I’ll compare passing Congregational Leadership to climbing Mt. Everest. If you can do it without oxygen, you get an A. If you need a little oxygen at the summit, you get an A-.

Well, I made it. I had to get a little oxygen along the way, but I reached the summit and made it back!

In the aftermath of the second semester, I traveled last week to Indiana for my second onsite intensive, Global Christian History. Dr. Patrick Eby made studying history interesting and even fun. Of course, Lutheran Satire helped! (Oh, Patrick!) I was pleased to take this class with one other member of my cohort, and we met some new friends along the way. In addition to studying history in general, I was in a group of three that studied the development of the Scripture across church history. I found this to be an exhilarating study, even if it did mean spending more than three hours at Starbucks rather than visiting Ivanhoe’s for ice cream!

As it stands today, I have one paper to finish for Global Christian History. After that, I officially have until August off. During this break, I will begin reading for an independent study I will be completing this fall, Church Revitalization Field Study. As part of this study, I will observe a church consultation by Rev. Paul James. I am already getting excited for this opportunity!

I have also been trying to nail down the timing of electives that I will be taking. The field study counts as one of these. I also have several others required for my specialization, and I am hoping to take Hebrew for Ministry as well.

]]>https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/06/14/semester-2-is-officially-official/feed/0jgeerdesWeeping, peacemakers, and morehttps://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/weeping-peacemakers-and-more/
https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/weeping-peacemakers-and-more/#respondWed, 10 May 2017 21:18:04 +0000http://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/?p=2522The following is adapted from a devotional I delivered to the Regenerate 7 ministerial alliance June 30, 2016.

This morning, my city officially tallied its 14th homicide of 2017. In 2016, we had a couple of high profile murders – two police officers were executed in their patrol cars – but we had only 13 homicides all year. If we continue on pace, we will more than double the homicide rate from last year.

Moreover, this latest murder happened just outside an elementary school. Five hundred children were reading stories and working on math problems just feet from this crime scene.

On a personal note, it was the third homicide in the last year within a two-mile radius of our church and my home.

Certainly, we are not at the same level as Chicago, New York, or LA. In fact, for the most part, my city is a fantastic place to live. I feel safe standing in my lawn and riding in my car. Yet this latest homicide gives me pause.

Ours is a city in desperate need of peace.

To their credit, city officials, the police department, and countless others work tirelessly to realize that peace, but the fact is that much of what they do is limited to a reactionary role. That is, there is little that they can do until after something bad has already happened. They can only react to bad situations after the fact.

The Church, however, is different. We are called and empowered by the grace of God to be proactive, to not just decry violence and crime, but to actually make peace.

For so long, we in the Church have defined success in terms of buildings, bucks, and butts: the bigger and more spectacular your building, the more money is in your coffers, and the more people you have in the seats of your sanctuary, the more successful you must be. But is that what success in the Church is really supposed to mean?

This past Sunday, I preached from Acts 9:31. This one verse, I told the congregation, serves as a sort of intermission, summarizing probably ten years of Christian history between the fulfillment of the first two-thirds of the Great Commission – the Church was effectively witnessing in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria – and the start of the final phase of the mission: witnessing to the ends of the earth. In this verse, the author, Luke, observes that the Church enjoyed a time of peace and strengthening. The word translated here as “peace” is considered the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word shalowm, which means peace, tranquility, well-being, and prosperity. Summarize all of that: success.

And what did the success of the Church look like in Acts 9:31? (1) The people lived in the fear of the Lord. That is, they were committed to revering the Lord, aligning themselves with Him, and living holy lives. (2) They were encouraged by the Holy Spirit. That is, the Holy Spirit instilled them to do the right thing even when it was scary, inconvenient, unpopular, or outright costly. And (3) they grew as a direct result of these things.

What if we redefined success in the Church to mean more people living more godly lives and, conversely, fewer people living lives steeped in sin. That would mean fewer people committing crimes, addicted to drugs, living lives of violence, and more. Further, what if we redefined success in the Church to mean fewer divorces, lower poverty, and more peace in our neighborhoods?

Indeed, in Matt 5:9, as Jesus introduced his Sermon on the Mount and the very crux of all His teachings to His disciples, our Lord pronounced, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Google defines “peacemaker” as “a person who brings about peace.” The Bible makes quite clear that peace is to be the centerpiece of the gospel message and the Christian life. In Luke 10, for example, Jesus dispatched the 72 with instructions to extend peace to everyone they met. Paul bid the Romans in Romans 12:18, as far as it depends on you, to live at peace with everyone. And James pronounced that the peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Indeed, we are called – commanded, really, to create peace in this world, but how shall we accomplish this overwhelming task? Notice what Jesus does not say:

Blessed are the news reporters and gossips, the ones who sit around all day every day talking or “praying” about the bad stuff that’s happened.

Blessed are the bystanders who stand by and merely watch as bad things go on.

Blessed are the superpowers. Back in the days of the Cold War, when the world had two superpowers, some of us here today will recall the arms race which maintained “peace” by ensuring that, if war ever broke out, everyone would die. We should not engage in an arms race to beat the forces of evil in this world at their own game.

Blessed are the superheroes who rush in to save everyone. If you’re there and can help, then by all means, do so. But never forget that this world already has a Savior, and His name is Jesus.

How, then, do we make peace in our city? 6 years ago, after a period of heavy rain in June 2010, the Lake Delhi dam on the Maquoketa River in eastern Iowa failed. My parents live in Monticello, a small community just downstream of Delhi, and when word of the dam’s imminent failure reached the community, everyone who was able came to fill sandbags to hopefully save the town. Hundreds of people worked for days to protect key facilities and such, and even then, when the dam burst, the floods all but destroyed 50 homes, 20 businesses, and numerous other structures. The city’s sewage treatment plant was also flooded, leaving residents of Monticello without sewer services for some time afterward. Subsequent investigation revealed that shortcuts taken during the construction of the dam and in repairs and reinforcements made since had all contributed to the failure. Millions of dollars in damages downstream could have been averted if only a few thousand dollars had been spent upstream.

The answer to the question of how we make peace in our city is that we in the Church must look and work upstream. What would happen if we in the Church offered conflict resolution services and helped neighbors and families mediate and reconcile tension before they erupted into all-out conflict, did things to encourage community pride and cohesion, and proactively addressed issues which are directly related to violence and crime? Indeed, what if, more than emergency financial assistance, we offered job training and job fairs? If a lack of education is a problem, why do we not offer tutoring, college extension courses, etc.? How would our community change if we offered counseling for struggling families and support for broken ones?

To be certain, this list is far from exhaustive, and some churches are already doing these things. There is, however, much more to be done. So much, in fact, that it often seems overwhelming to those who are doing the work. Where do we begin?

Luke 19:41 is a good place. There, as Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem just a week before He would go to the cross, He lamented, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”

And he wept over the city.

Do we realize how many movements of God began with someone weeping?

Jacob and Esau wept together when they were reconciled

Joseph wept before the relationship with his brothers was restored

When the angel confronted Israel at Bokim, the people wept before they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

When the messengers from Jabesh Gilead reached Gibeah with news that the city had been besieged and was on the brink of destruction, the people wept before the Spirit of God came powerfully on Saul.

Hezekiah wept bitterly before God healed him

Ezra and the Israelites returning from exile wept before they cleansed the camp of the sin of intermarriage.

When Nehemiah heard of the plight of Jerusalem, he wept before God moved the heart of the king and enabled him to rebuild the walls in an astonishing 52 days.

Jesus wept, and Lazarus came back to life.

Why were so many movements of God preceded by someone weeping? Because weeping only happens when we have taken ownership of the problem and it means something to us.

Our city doesn’t know what will bring it peace, but we do. His name is Jesus. But He won’t move in power in Des Moines until we – His people, His body – have taken ownership of the problem and been wrecked by it to the point of weeping.

When was the last time you wept for your city?

]]>https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/weeping-peacemakers-and-more/feed/0jgeerdesMatthew 10:11-15: Faithfulness vs. Fruitfulnesshttps://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/matthew-1011-15-faithfulness-vs-fruitfulness/
https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/matthew-1011-15-faithfulness-vs-fruitfulness/#respondMon, 10 Apr 2017 16:27:02 +0000http://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/?p=2415When I was an undergrad, our college had a vision to build a shining new facility to house the school’s chapel and fine arts programs. It would be state-of-the-art from the ground up, the crowning jewel on an already beautiful campus. By the time I arrived at school, this vision was already approaching fruition. Within a couple of months, the capital campaign had concluded, and that spring, ground was broken. By the middle of my junior year, the new facility was open, and it was spectacular! In the months that followed, though, it quickly became apparent that something was wrong. After the tremendous victory of the new building, it seemed as though the entire school had reached a destination, and now everyone was just standing around asking, “Now what?” We had reached the end of the vision, and it quickly became clear that no one knew where to go or what to do next. We were wandering in the woods.

Ever since those days, I have contemplated Matthew 10:11-15. The question which has long plagued me as I read this passage is this: how does one know when it’s time to shake the dust off and move on?

Over nearly fifteen years of vocational ministry, all at the same church, this question has surfaced time and again. In seasons when the church seems to be firing on all cylinders, people are responding to the gospel, and God is clearly moving, it is easy to recognize a time to stay. In those seasons when things are not going so well, when God seems quite distant and people seem anything but responsive, answering this question becomes dramatically more difficult. On the Monday morning after a particularly discouraging weekend, it can be almost impossible to figure out how you would ever carry on.

Early in ministry, I came up with two maxims that I promised myself I would never violate. Following the advice of some wise elders, the first was that I would not write a resignation letter on a Monday. I sometimes wonder if anyone has ever done a study to determine what percentage of pastoral resignation letters are written and/or submitted on a Monday because is suspect the portion is extremely high. The adrenaline surge, long hours, and extra effort of the weekend combine to make Monday brutal for most of the pastors I know. Just like Elijah after the victorious experience atop Mt. Carmel in 1 Kings 18, we find ourselves inexplicably sitting under a scraggly broom tree, all alone in the wilderness, having had enough, begging God to take our lives. Monday is the low tide of our week, and as such, how I feel on Monday should never be the determining factor in whether or not I stick around.

The second maxim I adopted was to never quit when things got tough. I always knew that there would be times when things were difficult. Difficulties act as the trees of the forest, which can make it difficult to get your bearings and see where you are going. And if there was one thing I learned from growing up spending all sorts of time in the woods, it was that trees may make it difficult, but they certainly do not make it impossible. Take, for instance, the time we were hunting, and my assignment was to push through a particularly thick section of the forest to the parking lot where our vehicles were parked. There were times when I could not see more than three or four feet in any direction and I was snarled in the dreaded multiflora rose. A quick glance at my compass, though, and I could tell which direction I needed to go. There were times when I could not continue on the same path, so I had to detour one way or another and work my way around an obstacle. There were moments on that walk when I didn’t know exactly where I was. I knew I had to cross several large ravines, but I lost track of how many I had crossed. I needed to remember that I had crossed a ravine or two. And there was even the moment when I emerged from the woods suddenly and unexpectedly to realize I had turned 90 degrees to my left and was headed in completely the wrong direction. I had to correct my course and carry on. All of these things are expected in the forest, and all of these things are expected in ministry. When they happen, that does not mean it is time to call for air rescue to come and get you, to submit your resignation and fly away. It means it is time to sit down and figure out what to do now. Some time in Scripture (our compass); some creative problem solving (our detour); a little review of the last thing God accomplished (remembering the last ravine rather than all of them); and a little (or major) course correction to get us headed once again toward where we need to go are all key in those moments when we find ourselves lost in the woods, unable to see our destination for the trees.

This morning, as I read Matthew 10 in my devotions, I was reminded again of these maxims when Jesus instructed his disciples to (1) stay with the same people until you leave that town, and (2) shake the dust off and move on if no one in a town will welcome you. This morning, though, it occurred to me that these two things are really the opposite ends of a spectrum: we can either keep on or cut out.

To be clear, Jesus explicitly states that there is an appropriate time for each of these. Unfortunately, he does not really make clear how to tell the difference between the two times.

The challenge of discerning the difference between these two times is confused even more when you contrast the accounts of Ezekiel and Jeremiah with that of Paul at Athens in Acts 17. Ezekiel and Jeremiah ministered faithfully for decades with only minimal results. Paul preached twice before calling it quits even though “some men joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them” (Acts 17:34).

Thus, the question with which I began: how does one know when it’s time to shake the dust off and move on.

This morning, though, it dawned on me that the determining factor was not present circumstances as much as it is vision for the future. That is, Ezekiel and Jeremiah saw the end. For Ezekiel, it was the day when Israel would return to Jerusalem, revived and restored. For Jeremiah, it was the day Judah was finally exiled and there was no longer any chance for turnaround. Each of these prophets worked faithfully, diligently, toward those ends, staying until they reached their objectives. Paul, on the other hand, saw that the Areopagites of Athens would never be convinced by him; the handful that believed on day one were the only harvest that city would bear for now. He could not see the destination, so he shook off the dust and walked away.

Maybe that is the deciding factor in whether or not we stay or go: do we know where we are going? Losing sight of the end is not enough. Not knowing how to get to the objective is not enough. But if we have reached the end of our vision and truly have no idea where we are going next, we will never be able to do anything more than wander in the woods. That is when it becomes imperative to walk away.

Where, then, is our church going? What is our objective?

Our objective is to supplant the status quo of the world with the kingdom of God.

Families will be healthy and whole.

Everyone will have food, clothing, and shelter.

Neighbors will be reconciled across language, ethnicity, and property boundaries.

Unemployment and underemployment will be non-existent.

Everyone will know that Jesus loves them, and we do too.

All because people will be following Jesus. And our church – the people who comprise Debra Heights Wesleyan Church – will be at the center of an ever-expanding community in which everyone has had the chance to follow Jesus.

That’s the objective. That’s the end. Can you see it through the trees? Because I can.

And if we ever reach that point, or if I ever forget that this is our destination, it’ll be time for me to shake the dust off and move on.

]]>https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/matthew-1011-15-faithfulness-vs-fruitfulness/feed/0jgeerdesGenesis 48: He crossed his hands!https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/genesis-48-he-crossed-his-hands/
https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/genesis-48-he-crossed-his-hands/#respondTue, 21 Mar 2017 12:22:20 +0000http://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/?p=2333Over the last couple of months, I have been working slowly through the book of Genesis in my personal devotions. As I go, I am recording some thoughts about the passages I read in a couple of note-taking Bibles. My wife and I will give these Bibles to our kids on their respective sixteenth birthdays. Because this is supposed to be a labor of love for them, specifically, I realized I needed to keep some of the insights between me and them. I have not, therefore, been sharing every insight on my blog. Today, however, I came across a significant thought in Genesis 48 that I thought was too important not to share.

In Genesis 48, Jacob summons his son Joseph, along with Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim, to his deathbed so that he can bless the grandsons. In vs 13, Joseph presents his boys to his father so that Manasseh, the eldest, will be on Israel’s right, and Ephraim will be on his left. This, so that Israel’s right hand, representing the greater blessing, will fall on the elder son.

This is right. It’s the way things were supposed to be. Eldest sons were supposed to receive the greater blessing.

But that’s not what happened.

Instead of placing his right hand on Manasseh and his left on Ephraim, as Joseph expected, Israel in vs 14 crosses his hands so that his right and its greater blessing rests on the younger of the boys, Ephraim. It was a gross violation of cultural protocols. This was simply not the way things were done!

Joseph, of course, protests. He says in vs 18, “Not that way, my father! This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.” I imagine that what he really meant to say was, “You’re doing it wrong, you old, senile fool!”

Have you ever felt that way? When God doles out blessings, but I don’t get the one I expected, I know I do!

Especially when someone else gets the blessing I thought was supposed to be mine, I, like Joseph, tend to cry foul. “You’re doing it wrong, God!” I cry as another pastor, at another church in another place, receives explosive growth while I remain small. “You’re doing it wrong, God!” I howl as another man, in another family, receives the lucrative bonus. “You’re doing it wrong, God!” I bellow as the blessing I was supposed to have evaporates into thin air or even rests upon someone else.

Ultimately, of course, it’s just jealousy. A gross violation of the tenth commandment. I want what is not mine, particularly when it seems to be given to someone else instead.

But there are a couple of things happening in Genesis 48 that strike me. The first is that Joseph carefully lined up his boys the way they were supposed to be in vs 13. I can’t tell you how many times I have carefully lined up my life to receive the blessing I assumed would be forthcoming. I worked hard to make sure that I was where I was supposed to be, when I was supposed to be, how I was supposed to be to receive my blessing, but someone else received it instead. It’s maddening!

Which brings me, of course, to the second thing that strikes me: this wasn’t Manasseh’s blessing at all. In point of fact, Joseph was Israel’s son; Israel should have been blessing him. Further, the only thing Manasseh had done was show up. Prior to this moment, the only two times the kid appeared in the Genesis account were when he was born in Genesis 41 and when he was recorded as part of Jacob’s family in Egypt in Genesis 46. Yet in vs 18, Joseph insists, “Not that way, my father! This one is the firstborn.” That is, because he was the firstborn, Joseph assumed that the primary blessing belonged to Manasseh. This, despite the fact that it wasn’t Manasseh’s blessing at all! It’s funny how God sometimes showers us with undeserved blessing for no apparent reason, and we still have the audacity to tell Him He’s wrong!

Third, when Joseph protested his father’s crossed arms, Israel responded in vs 19, “I know, my son, I know!” Just as Israel knew exactly what he was doing when he crossed his arms and blessed the boys in reverse, God knows exactly what He’s doing when He mixes up the blessings we were supposed to have. He knows, perhaps, that has another plan for our lives. Or maybe He knows that we’re not ready for that blessing just yet. We assume God doesn’t know what He’s up to, that He’s wrong, because it doesn’t mesh up with what we expected, the way we think things are supposed to be. But the truth is quite the opposite: God knows exactly what He’s up to, and He’s always right. If, that is, we’ll just trust Him.

Finally, it wasn’t as if Manasseh wasn’t blessed. Indeed, Israel continued in vs 19, “He [Manasseh] too will become a tribe, and he too will be great; nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a populous nation.” That is, even though Ephraim was going to receive the greater blessing – he was going to have greater stature and more offspring – Manasseh wasn’t exactly left out in the cold. His descendants would become a powerful tribe. And he would be great in his own right. It wasn’t as though Manasseh was completely overlooked when it came to blessing. He certainly wasn’t cursed! Yet Joseph was aghast that Manasseh didn’t receive the greater blessing, and I have to ask how many times I’ve done the same! It’s not that I’m cursed; indeed, I’m blessed! It’s just that someone else gets the greater blessing, and I feel slighted.

It’s funny how God sometimes surprises us. We may have expected, planned, and even worked for one thing, but God does something else. And we cry foul, especially when someone else gets it instead. We need to trust that God, like Israel, knows what He’s doing. We need to accept with gratitude whatever blessing He gives us. We need to not envy the blessing of others, even when we think that blessing should be ours. We need to rejoice because we are (both) blessed!

]]>https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/genesis-48-he-crossed-his-hands/feed/0jgeerdesMarch 2017 Seminary Update, Supplementalhttps://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/march-2017-seminary-update-supplemental/
https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/march-2017-seminary-update-supplemental/#respondSat, 18 Mar 2017 18:02:09 +0000http://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/?p=2320One of the things that Wesley Seminary offers is the opportunity for people with undergraduate degrees in ministry and such to apply for “Advanced Standing” in various classes. This allows a student to receive seminary credit for specific subjects in which they have already attained at least 6 undergraduate credits with sufficient grades.

In my case, I had the undergraduate credits and grades to qualify for credit in two categories: Bible and theology.

To receive the credit, I had to write an essay demonstrating my familiarity with these subjects. This week, I completed and submitted the first essay to allow me to receive credit for the course Bible as Christian Scripture without having to actually take the course.

I had been told to submit these essays at least two months prior to the start of the respective class. Since BaCS is scheduled for the end of May, I wanted to submit that essay this week. In fact, I submitted it Friday night.

It was surprising, then, that I received an email this morning informing me that the essay had been received, and my Advanced Standing approved for Bible as Christian Scripture. That is, I will receive credit but not have to actually take the course.

This brings my completed seminary credits to 13, which is 17% finished. By the time I finish the two courses I am presently enrolled in, I will be well over a quarter of the way there.

As noted, I have one other essay to complete to receive credit for my theology course. I will work on that over the summer and submit it before I am scheduled to take the class next summer.

]]>https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/march-2017-seminary-update-supplemental/feed/0jgeerdesSeminary Updatehttps://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/seminary-update-3/
https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/seminary-update-3/#commentsFri, 17 Mar 2017 05:55:16 +0000http://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/?p=2311This evening, I finished up week 8 of my second semester of seminary training. Given that the semester is 16 weeks long (not counting one week of break), that means that I have officially reached the halfway point of the semester. Assuming it will take me 7 semesters to complete the requirements for my M.Div., I am approximately 20% of the way through the program. Woot!

This semester, as you may recall, I am enrolled in two classes. The one-credit-hour Self Awareness & Appraisal class has been discussing personality, spiritual gifts, talents, and strengths. These have all been relatively affirming, but weaknesses is coming soon! And the six-credit-hour “Praxis” course, Congregational Leadership, has been addressing matters common to leadership specifically in the church context. To that end, we have spent time analyzing our churches and formulating plans to address any deficiencies and advance the mission. Both of these classes have been most helpful.

Grades are holding pretty good, although this semester’s workload is dramatically greater. As expected, the professors are also dramatically more stringent on their expectations for “master’s level work.”

Within the next couple of days, I intend to put the finishing touches on an essay which I hope will allow me to skip one class in May.

And that’s all for now!

]]>https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/seminary-update-3/feed/1jgeerdesLothttps://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/02/02/lot/
https://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/2017/02/02/lot/#respondThu, 02 Feb 2017 12:18:39 +0000http://jgeerdes.wordpress.com/?p=2025The story of Lot recorded in Genesis 19 is one of tragedy. A chapter after Abraham begged God to spare Lot and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for his sake – Lot and his household should have amounted to more than 10 righteous people in those cities! – we discover just how misplaced Abraham’s confidence was.

The first sign of trouble is the fact that Lot is found sitting at the city gate, the place where a city’s leaders gathered to contemplate the issues of the day. Lot was a leader of the city of sin. As such, even if he was not personally guilty, he was culpable in their sin because he knew what was going on and yet did nothing to correct it.

A second sign of trouble is the intensity of his insistence: these men needed to stay with him. No doubt, Lot thought that if they stayed with him he could protect them from the city’s depravity. He had everything under control. The thing with sin, though, is that it always spirals out of control. I imagine that Lot was horrified to find the mob on his doorstep, but the fact that they did come makes plain the fact that Lot was never really in control of anything. That’s why St. Paul, in the New Testament, calls us slaves to the stuff. Sooner of later, it breaks out of the shadows, and we are compelled to recognize that we are the ones under its control.

The third and fourth signs come as Lot and his family flee the city. The angels tell them to run all the way to the mountains. Scholars do not know exactly where Sodom and Gomorrah were, but most believe they were located in the tar pits and salt flats south of the Dead Sea. Given that this valley is only about 10 miles across, Lot and his family had to run no more than about 5 miles to reach the mountains. Given that Lot was accustomed to the nomadic life of a herdsman, this was almost certainly a reasonable distance for him to run, especially given that an angel of the Lord had issued the command. God would no doubt assist in Lot’s flight. Yet Lot insists that the village of Zoar should be good enough. He compromised with God, indicating that he did not, in fact, want to leave Sodom and its sin at all. Don’t settle for good enough when it comes to escaping sin!

Lot’s wife went even further, looking back in grief to the life they were leaving behind. It’s so tempting to look back with longing at our past sin, but don’t do it!

Indeed, in the closing verses of Genesis 19, the full magnitude of Lot’s tragedy is revealed. The corruption and sin he had overlooked and tolerated in his neighbors had seeped into him and his family. He allowed himself to be enticed to drink not once, but twice, and as a result was seduced by his two daughters. To the ancients, this was even more messed up than it doubtless seems to our sensibilities! So far had the sin progressed because Lot did not respond to it when he saw it in his neighbors, and as a result, the closing of Lot’s story – his legacy, if you will – is one of compromise, sin, and shame. Don’t let your legacy be the same! Don’t overlook sin, even if you think you have it under control. Instead, run for your life and legacy as far and as fast as God would carry you!